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Monday, February 11, 2013

Waste Bunkers

Copperleaf's Waste Bunkers have always been a topic of discussion since the course opened in 2000. Originally created with crushed concrete, the material was changed many years ago to Coquina (Co-keen-a) to add a contrast between the green fairway grass and the natural orange color.

The Coquina is mined on the east coast of Florida, near Melbourne, and hauled over on large trucks. Without question, the appearance of the orange sand and shell is quite dramatic, however, from a playability point of view, there is much to be desired. With constant cart traffic, the sand is quickly compacted creating a hard, and difficult, surface to play from.

In recent efforts to "soften" the material, a machine was borrowed from a neighboring course to break up the sand. This method worked for a brief period of time however caused "wash-boarding" on the surface and made it unpleasant for golf cart passengers and maintenance vehicles alike.

An improved solution was researched and piece of equipment was purchased that tows behind a maintenance vehicle. This new "rake", a DR Power Rake, has been extremely successful in smoothing out the surface and providing improved playability.

Even after the Coquina paths have been raked with the DR Power Rake it does not take long for the material to be compacted due to the cart traffic.

The Green and Grounds Committee has developed a plan for the future to reduce the width of the Coquina areas, in particularly on holes 4, 5 and 18. These areas would then be classified as cart paths, thus providing relief for golfers. These ideas will be reviewed once the Long Range Plan has been provided by our Architect, Kipp Schulties, in March 2013.

Posted by David Dore-SmithDirector of Golf Course and Grounds MaintenanceCopperleaf Golf Club